If I Were to Retire Today

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I was recently asked, "If you were to retire today what would you do?" At first, I thought I thought it was an easy question to answer, but the more I thought about it, the harder it became. My entire life centers around ministry activity and what will my life look like when I'm no longer in full-time ministry?

I do know I would continue to volunteer in some way, but that wasn't what the intent was behind the question. What would I do with the majority of my time once I'm finished? And that isn't really that far in the future.

It has forced me to begin to reflect on how much of my identity is wrapped up in my profession and caused me to wonder how will I react when I don't have that in my life anymore. I like to think it would be a fairly smooth adjustment, but I'm not always so sure. I'll be 64 in January so it's natural to start thinking of what life will be like when we are no longer in professional ministry.

I have so many different hobbies and activities that I love to do on a weekly basis that I don't think I would ever be bored. I would still continue to write, to sew, to work on improving my photography, to make soaps and salves, to hike, to bake and cook. I love learning new things and can see myself continuing to pursue those things. Inactivity does not suit me so I know that coming to a screeching halt will not be beneficial for my mental health. 

My daughter and son-in-law are going to be moving further away by the end of this year so he can work on his family's dairy farms (yes, they have two and they are huge operations). At some point in the future, we've talked about moving closer to where they will be so we can actually be active in our grandchildren's lives (when they have children).

I really don't have a complete answer to the question because I think it will have to be a wait and see type of answer. But I did appreciate the question because I do have the tendency to avoid the unknown and it's good to have some sort of a plan. 

I think some sort of side business would be in the future because I'm fairly entrepreneurial and enjoy running my own business. I could see myself running a little gift shop or something along those lines.

Actually, I'm kind of excited to see what the future holds. It's an unknown future, but I'm adventurous and look forward to seeing what the next stage in our life will be like. 

Comments

  1. ElizabethdNovember 18, 2025 at 5:04 AM

    I'm sure something will come up at the right time Terri.

    ReplyDelete

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